By Goodluck Musinguzi         

ARUA

The district leaders from the West Nile region have formed an Ebola task force in preparation for intensified sensitization, and surveillance and to be able to contain the disease from spreading from other parts of the country.

Nine individuals were confirmed positive for Ebola in the greater Kampala region, according to the health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng.

These increased the number of new cases recorded to 14 in just 48 hours.

Dr Aceng said the nine cases were all contacts of the fatal case which came to Kassanda district and passed on in Mulago hospital.

“Fellow Ugandans, let us be vigilant. Report yourself if you have had contact or know of a person who has had contact with an Ebola patient,” minister Aceng appealed.

In response to the minister’s call for cooperation to end Ebola, the local authorities in the West Nile region have acted swiftly to form Ebola task force committees so as to prepare the residents to guard against the disease in case of an outbreak in the area.

“Being at the border of South Sudan and also being on a trunk where people move from one place to another, Adjumani as a district has rejuvenated the corona taskforce team and turned it now into Ebola task force team,” Peter Taban Data, the Adjumani Resident District Commissioner (RDC) said.

Similarly, Ham Muzamil Ezama, the Arua Deputy RDC said they are all worried about the Ebola outbreak in Uganda because the region is at the border point with South Sudan and DR Congo.

“DR Congo is near and South Sudan is here, so we actually formed a task force committee for Ebola,” Ezama confirmed.

“We have activated the district task force that was there and there are spot messages, of course, the ministry of health has guided us on what has to be done and how it has to be done,” Abdulmutwalib Asiku, the Yumbe district chairperson said.

According to Taban, there was one suspected case of Ebola that was brought to Adjumani hospital but the results later turned out to be negative.

He also noted that a similar case was reported at Nimule border with South Sudan thus putting them on standby mode for any eventuality.

Taban observed that there is a corridor that comes from South Sudan which people use to smuggle bush meat into Uganda.

He cautioned people to be very careful, adding that it is from such bush meat that they can also get Ebola.